1UP COVER STORY | WEEK OF JUNE 18 | GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND VIDEO GAMES

Cover Story: Gender, Sexuality, and Video Games

1UP explores what games get wrong and right when it comes to one of society's trickiest topics.

Years ago, when I was very young, I saw a sitcom name-drop Ms. Pac-Man. I don't remember which show it was. The Facts of Life? A Different World? No matter; the important thing was the joke: One character made a passing reference to "Miss Pac-Man" only to be interrupted by a female classmate.

"Miz Pac-Man," she corrected. Cue canned laughter.

I didn't get the joke or its cultural context at the time, but the exchange bobs to the surface of my memory from time to time. With the maturity of hindsight I've come to better understand its meaning. The fact that Namco's character was "Ms." Pac-Man -- not Mrs. Pac-Man, not Miss Pac-Man, but Ms. -- marked an important moment for video games.

For all intents and purposes, Ms. Pac-Man was her male counterpart's equal, and the first female video game character to enjoy true equality. She may have shared Pac-Man's name, but in adopting the ambiguous title of "Ms." she refused to define herself by her relationship to the other character. Was she single? Married? That info was no one's business but her own. All you needed to know about Ms. Pac-Man was that she was a hungry lady gobbling up 10-point pellets in a maze full of ghost-monsters, just like her male predecessor. Ms. Pac-Man was every bit as capable as Pac-Man, if not more so; unlike the female game characters who had come before (e.g., Donkey Kong's Pauline), she wasn't a prize, and she didn't need a man to rescue her. She could turn the tables on her pursuers with an energizer pellet, same as Pac-Man. And if she happened to find the man of her dreams in the process, well, that's great -- but that romance took place in incidental intermissions from the real game. Romance wasn't the point. No wonder she resonated with female gamers.

Unfortunately, three decades after a TV sitcom held Ms. Pac-Man aloft as a phosphor-dot symbol of women's lib, her unapologetic equality remains entirely too rare in video games. The fallout from E3 2012 has made that perfectly clear. Witness that questionable Hitman: Absolution CG trailer, wherein the protagonist ruthlessly guns down a troupe of female assassins dressed as nuns in lingerie, despite that scenario reportedly not actually existing in the game. Or consider the developers' poorly chosen words about Lara Croft's sexually charged imperilment in the new Tomb Raider reboot. These and other controversies have dragged the question of video games and their uncomfortable treatment of and relationship with woman once again to the forefront of the Internet community.

1UP is no stranger to this topic. A piece we ran recently highlighting the amount of misogyny and sexism in a single month's worth of game releases remains one of the most angrily debated articles ever published on the site. The debate that piece spark in turn inspired this cover story, in which we'd like to explore the topic more carefully and draw on outside perspectives as well. The timing couldn't have been more apt: Clearly, many people take issue with video games' treatment of women, gender, and sexual identity. This week, we explore why.

Comments (125)

It All Depends, Really.......

Whenever the game industry TRIES to create less busty, more "physically realistic" female lead characters, and puts them in video games (as the MAIN character), those titles may do well with a smaller core audience, but they don't always SELL very well across the medium. What sells mostly nowadays are the FPS Para-Military Shooters, primarily because of their online multi-player features.

Occassionally, you get very sexy female characters in titles like "Tekken Tag Tournament 2," "Bayonetta," "Dead or Alive 5," and "Lolipop Chainsaw," but they never completely "dominate" the gaming market in any significant way. Not in today's market, I don't think.

Stuff like "Beyond Good & Evil," "Heavy Rain," the upcoming "Beyond: Two Souls," and "Remember Me," try to tone things down, as far as not having an overly sexualized female lead, in terms of physical appearence and personality. But, are these titles ultimately supported by people, to the degree that they eventually become a popular standard within their genres and the industry?

Well, not always, especially for some of the above listed games that already have been released; and we are yet to see how well "Beyond: Two Souls" and "Remember Me" will fair after they are also officially released.

If video game audiences (i.e us the consumers) support titles with female leads, who are a not sexual stereotype of guys' fantasies, then maybe such games will thrive and become the new accepted industry standards. If we don't, expect more of the same. And, complaining about it at that point just becomes annoying.

Personally, I would do a little research on games and check their ESRB Ratings, if I were you. If you dig their content (sex, violence, whatever) fine, as long as you are old enough to play it. If you don't like (or are too young for) their themes, concept or subject matter, avoid them. Simple as that.

Attempting to "coax" the Video Game Industry into accepting a newer, tone-down standard for female leads, by shaming or embarassing them with articles and opinions like those here, won't work in the end.

Gay Marriage by Bethesda

The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim by far has the sexiest characters. Men and Women. Even the Hagravens are sexy in two pieces if you take their clothes and weapons. The same thing can be said about the male charaters. All are chiseled and hairy. So that's not so new, read on.

One thing new to the gaming world is Same Sex Marriage. You may marry pretty much any single person in Skyrim. there is no predjudice within the game. I commend the artists for this. FYI if it weren't for the LGBT community, there would be no games to play.

So much denial...

The people who are crying about gender stereotypes and gender roles and blaming them on society need to get a grip. Gender roles weren't produced by society; they were determined by nature. If you look at mammal species of animals, the males are the ones who hunt and bring food, and the females are the ones who take care of the children. We humans are mammals too, and in the same way, nature choose the man to bring food to the table, and the woman to take care of the children and the home. Feminists can cry and moan all they want, but in the end they're just in denial: male and female were never intended to have the same role, and being a housewife is the woman's biological function. Gender roles are a product of nature not society. Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that there shouldn't be equal rights and opportunities for both genders, but it's pathetic how feminism is convincing society (especially in America) that gender roles are wrong and shouldn't exist, and how people think that males and females should have the same roles, personalities and functions in fiction.

@BearLA

You misunderstood him. He is saying that roles are natural and necessary(saying that human males and females both have traits that are given to them by nature, IE: Women tend to be weaker and less atheletic, that's why we have women's and men's sports seperate but women also do some things better than us). You also just pointed out that with different gender, different roles apply even with animals. You should read a little more and play a litle less.

Couldn't agree with you more

Feminism killed chivalry, yet women complain it's dead. However, we are now seeing men become more effeminate and women are becoming more masculine. This is a total reversal of nature and one can only wonder what will happen in the very near future. Sadly, this is why I will not have an American woman for a partner. Critisism aside, nature needs to be balanced. When we disrupt that balance, nothing good will come out of it.

JUST GET OVER IT!!!

those who actually complaining about games and their nudity,racism,and other things should just get over it!

I mean seriously! people buy games because they want to experince differnt types of things mainly joy.

those who complain about every god d**n thing are making it so god d**n difficult for others to enjoy life!

it does matter if u r jewish or something like it all u r doing is destroying lives! let me tell u something that should have eaisly calmed u down!(IF IT DOESNT ITS BECAUSE UR A B***H).....ITS A F*****g game got it.

thats all it is a game so cool it u should be able to tell reality from fiction!now usally i would continue rambling but i gotz other things to do

Oh yeah!

I mean everyone talks about wonderwoman but nobody cares about Batman, Spiderman, Superman, Ironman, and a bunch of pathetic male heros! Oh wait.... Dude, get over it! Women tend to be dull when they are the "heroine"...

hmmm

I agree with you, Chi the Boss on the fact that most of the time, when the game developers want to make a female character more badass, or have their actions be more important, it just feels forced. It's too much dull "girl power!" and not enough "hey this is a really cool/interesting character who happens to be a girl". Women don't have to be the "heroine" to be the main character or the best character. And yes...Wonder Woman is a dull character!! It's because she was written by men to be a female "counterpart" to other supes (read: a woman given all the personality of a musclebound, intensely focused dude). That's not to say she can't be written as a more interesting character, but she was created in the same cut-out as most other male heroes. There lies the problem.

I don't think that most game writers/artists are deliberately sexist, they just want to make things that are cool to males like themselves (usually male protagonist with guns, etc.) and sexy (naked babes who need to be rescued). There's not actually much wrong with that as long as no one pretends it is serious storytelling.

If the game has a good story and can pull it off, then yes, the female character should be written as an intelligent, fully-formed character. But the thing is that most game stories don't require that. In fact it would just be distracting if I'm enjoying the pace of the game and getting into the swing when the game slows down and decides to shove it in your face how cool this female character is.

It's not all that different than Romance novels for women. Women authors (usually) writing things that other women want to read.

Look at the new Tomb Raider. It's trying hard to establish Lara Croft as a believable (and hence more empowering) female character. The problem is that they are going about it by copying the formula for Uncharted and going one step further, making it a totally scripted experience. This is just as bad as not having a female character, because it lacks any novelty. It's more about the individual beads of sweat on her navel than it is about making a game with a girl character that is actually more fun/innovative than Uncharted. When they do that, then it will be a real win for women and gamers.

This is true.

I think the biggest problem is that they try to make the women too similar to men(with all their strengths and weaknesses). The reality is, men and women are completely different at least when it comes to personality and goals. They should make the women with their own strengths and weaknesses instead of the "I have girl power and I can do anything that men do and MORE!".

Smile

It's responses like this that make me glad that you won't be here, bothering the rest of us who enjoy intelligent, thought-provoking and sometimes confronting material. Go back to Gears of War and IGN. Cheers.

another neat bit of timing regarding this cover story

Just a Suggestion

Not to be a dick or anything, but since 1up has decided to focus on "issues" that are only noteworthy to people who are too damn sensitive and looking for something to complain about instead of doing something productive with their lives, how about we focus next week on the proper method of literarily organizing thoughts? I think the topic would be a lot more helpful to the 1up community, and society as a whole, than this gender and video games drivel.

Hasn't the topic been discussed enough? If you don't like it, don't play it. Or better yet, go make a game of your own that follows your beliefs.

Uh... what?

Fletcher, not to be a dick or anything, but that's pretty stupid. For one, an issue is defined as such when enough people find it to be an issue. It's very, very easy to dismiss something as being anything but when you simply do not agree with them; however, that is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

For two, the attitude is ridiculous. Yes, there are many things that 1UP's editors could be doing besides writing about the depiction of women in video games. On one hand, they aren't paid to be productive with their lives, at least in the context of their job. I bag sugar. I could be doing a lot more important things. Should I all of a sudden, in the middle of my job, cease working so that I can create a great work of art? Or just leave my job mid-shift so that I can redecorate my house? I think my employer would be upset. Similarly, 1UP.com would be disappointed that their editors have ceased to write topical articles in favour of feng shui. On the other hand, let's assume that this productivity DOES relate to video games, that the aforementioned other things refers to more important subjects related to video games. At what point does one cross the line, where the subject is beyond accusations of insignificance? What do you say is when a subject is just that important? It's a rhetoric that doesn't contribute anything to a discussion, much less this one. You certainly do not define when and where a subject is important.

Let's deal with your argument on its face, though. Your main argument, as I am perceiving it, is that it's not nearly as big of a problem as people make it out to be, and if it is, it's something that can be ignored. On the first part of the argument, it really is kind of a big deal. The fact of the matter is that the gaming industry aggressively targets a certain demographic, and in doing so, designs their games with a disproportionately male spin to them, despite the fact that the female gaming market is perfectly healthy - even in a lot of the games that acquiesce to the dudebro. However, detractors really overlook a problem introduced by overt female sexism in video games. That of the story. A designer designs a woman to be too sexualized and/or perfect, and she becomes a Mary Sue. I am not interested in this character, and vicariously, the story (varying depending on her significance to the overall story).

Regardless of significance, though, having a weak, uninspired character like that destroys my investment with the story. It's no longer believable, and the suspension of disbelief is destroyed. In many cases, a female character is simply weak and ineffectual. This is not necessarily a bad thing; because of how prevalent it is, having a female character who is that way is viewed as inherently negative, even if it is well-done, and if it is integral to her character. These exceptions are just that, though; exceptions. They're often targeted because of the majority of examples of bad weak female characters. If a character is too weak, just like if they are idealized, it usually hurts the story. Besides "women's rights in video games", this also makes games worse, as I explained. Having female characters as prizes, sexual objects, or plot devices degrades the entire game. The best of gameplay with these kind of worthless character designs will give a person conflicting emotions; "wow, this game is gre-- god, this story..." It cheapens the entire product by association.

But! On the other hand, looking at your last comment about not playing it, that really isn't a fair argument at all, because it works for literally every criticism against a game. And I do mean every single criticism that one could ever make. It's the argument someone goes to when they haven't a strong argument. An odd argument to go to, too, since it's so weak itself. Yes, consumers' greatest weapon is their money - and their ability to spend it in however way that they like to. But at the same time, a consumer must ensure that they are heard. Not playing a game is not an acceptable response to them finding something objectionable or in poor taste. It goes against every fiber of their being, as it is simply them not voicing what they feel to their core. It's a statement that no one would ever claim is acceptable, nor would they enjoy if aimed at a criticism they made.

On a third, theoretical hand, I just want to comment on one of the most common, most maligned statements people make in video game debates: "go make a game of your own that follows your beliefs." Have you ever criticized a game? If so, then I do so expect you to have designed a game that followed your ideal experience. Have you ever criticized a meal? Well, I do so hope that you demonstrated to your server that you can make a better meal than them, immediately. Have you ever criticized a politician? If so, you must tell me what the Hill is like. The point being, it's a stupid argument. It has no place, anywhere. The use of it would get you laughed out of any serious discussion. But I'm a cool kind of guy, so I won't be SO rude to you. That being said; seriously? It's hard to believe that even on 1UP.com, someone would make such a silly statement. A gamer's job is not to make games that accomplish what they want games to accomplish. A gamer's job is to ensure that designers know what they want to play. This is why everyone went off on Eidos for the Hitman trailer, and why Eidos is getting flak for the Lara Croft comments - because a group of people want it made clear that they don't care for any of the sexualized elements of either those two games. Gamers need to be able to call out designers for their design choices. If they cannot, then they have no right to call themselves consumers, either.

A youth's view

I never really thought about commenting, but i decided to because i felt like maybe a younger persons view might be appreciated. At the moment im 16 and have been gaming since i can remember. For me personally it has always been about fun. What interests me most about this topic is how one of the most "popular" series of games this generation, Call of Duty, hasnt in the slightest touched upon this topic, or females in general. I cannot remember if there has ever been a female comrade in the series. It has always been males who are your comrades in battle. In Call of Duty inparticular, it is kinda pointless as they are all somewhat shallow and are only distinguishable by if there wearing a hat or mask. Another example is Gears of War, where although there are female characters there is an overall sense of broness. all females are treated like guys. To my friends and most people my age who i know that game, females in gaming are no different then men, while there are females that developers make as eye candy, my generation just see them as a just one of the guys. From my personal view, i just view them as people, gender doesnt exist (fyi im straight, not that it would really matter). But i think this is where the problem is, maybe im missing the point, but should we be treating everyone like men, or treat everyone like people? We are in no age of an enlitenment but we are in an age where we have more power. We are no longer in an age where being a minority (race, gender, or sexuality) are not universally looked down upon. There will still be groups of people who will look down on others, for any multitude of reasons, but i think to want to change them, or to even force to change how to view the world and its inhabitants is to ignore their humanity, they have a right to their opionon, and just because it is offensive doesnt mean we should try to change it, just dont participate in it and focus elsewhere. Im a minority myself, but throughout history, ive seen that trying to force others to change their view, their beliefs, their opinion, doesnt work out for anyone.

in conclusion , while some may write me off as just someone saying "let it be" or "who cares". i am sorry, i am not attempting to portray that and i would be honored if anyone took the time to read through all of this. thank you :)

The world is what it is

How?

Should we make it better? Is forcing our views on others the right what to do things? weeding out the people who dont conform to our desired societal norms? The world can only be "better" if each and every man, truly desire a "better" world. if not, then all we are going to do is cause further conflict

warelink is right

I have played a couple of COD games and in them, I do not remember ever seeing a female officer of any sorts, though in GOW, there are a couple, but they are more prominetly featured in GOW3 (Sam, Anya, Bernie and Val). I wonder why Treyarch or Infinity Ward leaves out the females; in the military there are many females who serve. Good point to bring up.

Like I said in one of my posts, any point that is valid and thought about is important and welcome. It is good to get a take on the younger generation, since you guys are the future! We should make the world better, but the solution to that is muddled with the fact that not everyone knows how to make a change for the better. It is an issue in all of it's own and there are many problems within that issue. Maybe one day we can all get along and enjoy our games because they are games.

History and Solutions

Thank you both for your responses by the way. When i brought up GOW i was focusing on the treatment of woman. The woman are basically men, for better or for worse, i can think of only one instance where there was a comment that recognized them as a member of the female gender as opposed to a fellow soilder.

While we are the future, like you said the solution is muddled, in fact progress is muddled to. A sad fact ive faced through my short life is that we are indeed not enlightened in the slightest. An example is racism, which i think also needs to be addressed in media as a whole. While many teenagers and adults today can say with a straight face that slavery in the civil war era was wrong, and that they see racism as wrong, they correct their views on african americans. This should be a good thing, for all mankind, that we are maturing, but sadly it isnt, while we recognize our ancestors faults, we repeat them on different races. Ive noticed recently, racist attitudes have increased towards members of hispanic nationalitys, and the muslims. This is most likely due to immagration and 9-11 but whatever.

That was slightly off topic, but going through that, i was intending to get across the point that although we may consider ourselves advanced, we are no more advanced then we were yesterday.

As i made clear(well i hope it was clear) in my prior post, there are not many solutions that dont lead to either more conflict, or inflict on the rights of other. If we are to get rid of this, i think the most accurate way to do this is to find the source of the problem.

i see two alternate sources, both slightly confusing1) The pastwithin this era, the viewpoint of woman is something that comes from the persons views and beliefs. what causes that however is the past, in 2 different ways, the first is the stereotypical "was he raised right" the character of the parents and how they decide to teach their child does have an effect on the child. the second is society at the time. Imagine this, say in 20 years our children consider the movies of our time the "classics" and they watch those, what kind of image do you think would be put into their heads? im not going to explain the images but i think you all can assume. the second point may or may not be likely depending on if you believe the whole "videogames can effect people" type junk that politicians and the news tell us.

There is the saying that "you cant please everyone". if anyone has ever thouguht about why, although it is fairly obvious, you would see it is because people indeed have, different tastes, different views on what is good or bad. I feel the same will apply to this, we cannot force, convince, or make everyone conform to our point of view. Just as people say its pointless to try to please everyone, this very case is pointless.

Although i may seem all doom and gloom, just because it may be pointless wont stop some people. just like there are people who would bend over backwards to please everyone, there will be people who will do the very same to enlighten their fellow man

anyways to whoever reads this, thank you for taking the time to read this, and i will try to be more brief in the future :)

Good point

I've been all about defending this article and 1UP's treatment of the issue as a whole. I still think it's important.

On the other hand, 1UP now seems to be ignoring video game news and slacking on their reviews to cover this stuff exclusively. That would be fine if they want to redefine their site as an opinion site, but 1UP still poses as news and reviews.

/agree

Yeah so

As we've said a few times, 1UP is no longer in the business of reporting news, because other sites do the same thing and we don't see the point in clamoring to build a business off the same scraps of info as everyone else. 1UP has become a commentary site, and commentary on the Nintendo news is in the works.

I'm more interested in the fact that someone who clearly has seen all the news about Nintendo's announcements is upset because we aren't restating news that they've already read about.

hmm...

Never seen a declaration of 'no longer in the business of reporting news' but thatnks for clearing that up now...i'm pretty sure that's why most people come here. but whatever, your site, i probably won't be back much now though.

Thank you JParish (and the rest of the 1UP staff).

It is delightful to find a site that doesn't simply repackage the same information (or commentary) that every other gaming site has. I had never paid much attention 1UP until my friend linked me to one of your articles and I have since read (and thoroughly enjoyed) many more.

It seems even the most basic feminist theory evades many gamers, and many game producers, but I really hope that this kind of insightful journalism and the debate it encourages can actually help the development of integrity and orignality in the industry. Keep challenging the status quo. Y'all rock.

Insight

The setup with how the does articles now reminds me greatly of what Bitmob does with the community format (though have been struggling abit over the past year). There plenty of gaming publications who report news, sometimes better than others, and many who pic up tidbits about other things surrounding games and doing indepth articles while still doing games. 1up has kind of transition to focus more on indepth articles especially considering how small the staff is now, but it doesn't mean it's unwarrented and it gives us as gamers something different and to think more (as one should). Granted I kind of miss the mix of things that the site used to offer some years ago, but I still enjoy visiting this place. Also I need to start showing Bitmob love again, I used to read both here and there religiously for awhile.

About to anger some people.

This is an old and tired topic, and just speaks to people's need to compartmentalize and politicize (and to another extent, sexualize) everything.

People are so afraid of being an anti-progressive reactionary that they paint themselves into the corner of a constant never-ending lurch of social... sludge.

Males have been conditioned to think they have to fall on their swords and self-flagellate in order to show that they're somehow enlightened, and that the only way to prove they aren't sexist is to be willing to shout it to the heavens that they're inferior and so so sorry for the "sins of their fathers" and are ready to be paid back for them one thousand-fold. That the entirety of all born male (unless they have convicing enough genetics to have a believable sex change) have to be considered some gigantic monolithic engine of oppression and hate that must be vanquished by the monolithic block of those born female who deserve their shot at the top of the heap and to pay that oppression back to the evil, evil, evil males.

As someone who at this point considers themselves genderless and libido-less, I don't care what someone's gender is. What I care about is their one-on-one attitude in my dealings with them.

And as far as a video game goes? I don't care if the plot of characters don't live up to some ideal standard of progressivism. If I think a game is pandering in too much of an embarrassing way, I'm just not going to play it (Hello there, X-Blades. Hello there, Lollipop Chainsaw. Hello there, Neptunia. Hello there, Shadows of the Damned.) I'm not going to shout about how it has to be done away with because it's trying to "force people to accept some sort of soft bigotry based on male privilege".

Honestly, this entire subject just tends to come off as people trying to inject sex (not gender, but sexuality and sexual acts) into everything, all the time. As if somehow, there's somebody that people are trying to prove something to.

Aye

Why does it have to be called a crusade, mesk?

Why can't it be a campaign? Or, perhaps, simply a discussion? Why does it have to be described with a word that is inherently negative in this day and age? To say "women are oversexualized in games, I wish designers would be less ham-fisted about is" is not to force you to agree, or force designers to agree. I have no idea why you hold such a twisted perception. If designers end up changing games in such a way that women are no longer considered oversexualized, it will be because enough people felt that it was a problem that designers would be forced to try and appease them. Consumers don't have the right to voice their opinion. They have a duty to. If they don't like something, they need to say so. They are putting money in this industry. A consumer who stays quiet and doesn't voice their criticism is a bad consumer.

Dead Horse

As soon as all this Tomb Raider 'contraversy' came about, all there is to see now are topics like this, especially on this site. Hell, 4 of the 5 main links on the home page are about it. It's funny how -now- people are acting like they care, when before the Tomb Raider issue, I can't really remember the last time it was delved upon so aggressively.

It's like everyone's falling over themselves to have the 'best' sensitive article/comment.

Miz Pac man!?

Ms. Pac-man is actually kinda an insult to females. Why do you have to make a female version? Can't girls just play regular pac-man without game makers pointing out, "oh hey, you are a girl and so this is your version." Instead of one inclusive group, you have pointed out females, as if they couldn't enjoy pac-man unless he had a bow on his head and lipstick on.

^^^

Very very true. He wasn't released as Mr. Pac-Man so the gender was never really anything anyone thought about. Yeah Man is in the name but it is also in Human and we dont immediately associate that with Men only. Not to mention if that were the case it should have been Pac-Woman. =)

Hey!!! Listen!!!

Okay, now that I've got everyone's attention (you're all thinking, Where's that damn fairy?!). Look, I'm a girl, and I hardly think there's too much sexism in video games. I mean, yes, there are exceptions, like the Dead Island volleyball game (you know volleyball was NOT on their minds when they made that game...^ ^;) but all of the high-quality games have little to no sexism in it. I mean, as you can probably tell, my favorite game in the world is The Legend of Zelda. Some people may find it sexist that she's the one always getting kidnapped and the BOY has to save her. Well, there's nothing wrong with that. Isn't that the timeless tale, the lowly peasant boy embarks on a quest to save the beautiful princess? Zelda is a kick-ass character, anyway. In Ocarina of Time, she protects herself for most of the game by posing as Sheik. In Wind Waker she's the captain of a band of pirates. She's an important part of the story. It's not just Zelda, either. Look at Yuffie, Aerith, and Tifa in Final Fantasy VII. They're some of the coolest characters in video game history! They are productive, they have character, let's face it, they're important. Samus is another example of an amazing female character, most people were shocked when it was revealed she was a girl the whole time. And those are just some really well-known games and recognizeable characters. There are countless examples of awesome female characters who are kick-ass in their own right. Look, I understand that we women want equality. I get that. But think about it, it's mostly guys who play video games, anyway. So why wouldn't there be more male characters than female? It's logical. And the girls who are true gamers don't give a damn whether the female characters are equal to the male ones. Because at the end of the day? It's just a game.

***

I get your good intention here, but you sure are generalizing a lot. Based on only 3 examples (Metroid, Zelda, FFVII), and saying that "ALL high-quality games gave little to no sexsim in it", makes me think that you need to expand your horizons and play some of the newer games out. Also, your last few sentences seem a little off, considering that I am a "true" female gamer and I most definitely do give a damn if female characters have a better representation in games, rather than just eye candy and/or the ~weak character that no one picks. And yeah, it's just a game, but video games have a HUGE effect on culture nowadays, considering the amount of people that play them across the world.

About to sound sexist

The truth of the matter is this. Women aren't equal to men. Atleast not in a physical arena, which most games take place. The average man in a fair fight would beat the breaks off of a woman. So let's not sit around and pretend that just because it sounds enlightened to say that women are equal, that they are, because that's a lie. They are not. Both women and men have their own strengths and weaknesses. Honestly if it wasn't for the sexist mentality that says women are weak and the fact that if they have children they have to take time off, which technically makes them slightly less valuable when considering capacity to work, they'd be dominating this society by now. Women excel in multitasking and communications, which is a huge advantage in this day and age. But you just have to look at times in Olympic sporting events to indicate the clear physical domination of men over women. Both cases they are highly trained atheletes, but men are stronger, faster and can take more physical punishment. Note I didn't say pain, I said punishment, there's a difference.

So now on to sexuality. Sexuality is absolutely neccessary for women. Without it, they are comparitively useless. Beyond the ability to reproduce, women are not needed for men. So women have learned over time to leverage that sexuality as much as men have learned to leverage their masculinity. So why is it fair for us to praise men for leveraging their greatest advantage and chide women for doing the same. We are supposed to see women as sexual beings. We are supposed to desire and lust after them. If we weren't the human race would've died out a long time ago. The only difference between us and animals is that we try to analyze our behavior and assign misguided judgements to them. If a woman uses her sexuality to get somewhere, that's no different then a man using the perception that he's a strong leader to do the same.

Since we both have our strengths and our weaknesses why is it such a big deal when games which are attempting to become more and more realistic leverage those strengths and weaknesses. Someone attempted to sexually assault Lara Croft in the trailer, because more likely than not, that's what would've happened in reality. They don't actually show it happening, but it's clear that these guys are not the greatest of people. Why is it such a stretch to believe that atleast one of them would try to take advantage of a helpless attractive female victim. It's not a stretch at all. Nor is Lara's reaction and from what I saw nor was her ability to defeat this sex driven miscreant. Everything played out pretty well. You don't want scenes were women are seen as vulnerable...well go to the amazon, cause otherwise, they are. They are desired and they are physically inferior to those who desire them, so guess what, they are vulnerable.

As far as the Hitman trailer. OMG it's a group of people who have a particular theme. That's never happened in videogames before. I think it's more sexist that people are complaining that they are women then the trailer itself might be considered. If the people complaining where as "enlightened" as they want to be perceived as then the sex if the victims wouldn't matter. But they see women getting killed and feel some kind of way about it, although they've probably killed hundreds of guys, shirtless or otherwise, and haven't blinked an eye. These women were clearly the bad guys, they got killed by the good guy. As simple as that. As far as their theme. Once again women were portrayed sexually because well women are portrayed sexually. They do that themselves as well. It's not like only when men draw or create women they are sexual. Women dress up that way anyways, why...to attract men. It's not rocket science. They were perhaps making a statement or leveraging their sexuality in some way. It didn't work, obviously. They were killed, that's the end of it.

I don't consider myself sexist. I believe women are as valuable as men in certain situations. Both women and men are better suited to perform different task then the other. So am I sexist, no. I see the value in women and I agree that women are even superior to men in some cases. But do I think we are equal, not at all.

...

Just saying "I don't consider myself sexist" doesn't make it true, especially when you say things like "Without it (sexuality), they (women) are comparitively useless." and "Beyond the ability to reproduce, women are not needed for men."

You're acting like all that matters is genetic reproduction, when that completely ignores things like societal contributions made to society by women. You are supremely sexist and even completely missing the point of the word "equality." It means "societal equality" which definintely, 100% does NOT exist.

Cover Story = Double Standard

It's NOT ok for a guy to beat the shit out of women posing as nuns, but it is OK if a woman is beating the crap out of a guy. Not to come off sexist, but this kind of thing is not new...people seem to get their panties in a bunch when they choose one particular thing and want to act upon it but then realize they shoot themselves in the foot while doing so.

This apparent Issue shouldn't be for only Video Games but for all media mediums. You can't just have it one way....im'm sorry but if your going to complain about how women are presented in video games then you have to do it in ever other medium as well....

personally, If you want equality, you should accept what people do with that equality.

agreed

It's the amount of attention that people pay towards the trailer that gives it its "power", for lack of a better word. If everyone could just watch it and see that it's not a dumb trailer because it's sexist (even if in some way it is), it's a dumb trailer because it's a f#&%ing dumb trailer that doesn't really have anything to do with the game mechanics or the story (at least i hope not). If it was a bunch of dudes in high heels in nun outfits it would be equally as pointless and "offensive". The publishers wanted everyone to make a big deal of how crazy and edgy their trailer was, and hey, it worked, because everyone is talking about it like it's an issue.

Choices

I don't understand this aggresive campaign against these articles. I personally find them extremely refreshing, insightful, and a good sign of hope for the future. But even if I didn't... I WOULDN'T READ THEM.

Simple. There are many articles where I read the headline, I may even roll my eyes, and then I would move on. I certainly wouldn't leave provocative or insulting comments simply because it's a subject I'm not interested in. I welcome discussion, especially on this issue that DOES affect everyone, whether you want to admit it or not. But arguing that they are somehow a waste or a detriment to the site is baffling. This IS a video game site, one of the best, and this is a key controversy in videogames, and one that is only going to get bigger. It's fine if you're not interested but don't try and deprive those of us who are.

Good, II

I'm glad to see this discussion is ongoing. Gender relations and LGBTQ relations are important topics in the gaming world. In the beginning gamers were the nerds, the rejects. We were people who were shunned and felt left out, and there was this notion that we banded together to enjoy games with one another.

The idea that gamers were a ragtag group of misfits who would accept anyone into their club has now been thoroughly disproved. Many of us are just as sexist, homophobic and racist as the rest of the world. Which should never have been a surprise, but it should be something we strive against.

"It's always been this way" / "That's just the way the world is" - This is no excuse. Yes, the world sucks. People are racist, sexist, homophobic, psychopathic monsters who kill and maim and insult with impunity. That does not mean we shouldn't strive for better.

"You're trying to take away my games! I like them the way they are!" - No they're not. As long as Japan is still floating in the ocean, there will always be games where guys with improbably-spiky hair come to the rescue of huge-breasted women in schoolgirl outfits. There's nothing wrong with these games existing in the same way there's nothing wrong with porn or trashy novels or grindhouse films existing. The point is that many of us also want games that do more, i.e. discuss the issues that the new Tomb Raider seems to be flirting with. Tycho of Penny Arcade said, "The right answer is always 'More Art.' Never Less, always 'More."

"You're being oversensitive" - There's a word for this, it's called "Gaslighting." Look it up. It's emotional manipulation used to downplay and dismiss valid interpretations of what's going on around us. It's actually a form of verbal and emotional abuse.

"Stick to reviews or video game news" - F*** off. 1Up is about the gaming industry and this is an extremely important topic in the industry. It needs to be addressed. You don't have to read the articles you don't want to read, but people are allowed to talk about and complain about whatever they want. That's called 'merica.

Flame.

This is a flame bait article. It makes for more page hits. It makes for people like you to write six paragraph flame baiting responses. The problem with all of this is frankly that the conversation has already been had and unfortunately is ongoing. That's great for people like you who want to have it, but isn't for people like me who got the arguement for the 8th time 5 years ago. Hence the real reason most people are upset: Not because of the arguement, but the simple fact that 1up is running out of ideas.

Holy ****!

Tell me! Tell me the name of the person who held a gun to your head and made you read this article! Quickly! You can whisper it if they're close by, don't worry. Wouldn't want you to get caught. My god, what a horrible thing they've done to you! Forcing you to read article after article about interesting topics in the gaming industry!

Look, i get it...

...with the recent articles about sexism,gender, ect ect. 1up is looking and hoping for hits, totally understandable. The ONLY comment on those articles/issues i'm ever going to make is, to be brutally honest...I DON'T care. Never been the Hyper sensitive type looking to be offended or outraged just for the sake of being outraged. I'm in the hobby to be entertained, Not to be enlightened. You want change? Vote with your wallet or better yet...get in the industry and make the changes on your own games/projects. My .02

I'm so glad

that 1Up is taking the time to write about issues on most gamers minds instead of cluttering up their site with game reviews. Just today while playing some Skyrim I thought to myself, I wish more she-males made games. Imagine my surprise when I logged on to 1Up today and I saw that instead of some useless tripe telling me whether the new Marvel Pinball tables are worth my money I found an article by a she-male who makes games. Just what I was looking for.

Seriously, as good as J. Parish is at writting game related articles he is equally as bad as Editor in Chief. Know your audience and why they visit your site.

Lollipop Chainsaw...

never stood a chance on this site. It seems irresponsible to include its review alongside all these editorials and articles which were expressly written to generate controversy. Now I understand why Mackey of all people was chosen to review the game.

If you guys had written a separate article comparing Lollipop Chainsaw to other recent releases starring female protagonists (like Gravity Rush and Brave), I could forgive it, but pushing your agenda in what's supposed to be a fair and objective review is beyond unprofessional.

For the record, Lollipop Chainsaw isn't even that great, but it deserves better than this.

Excellent work

While some of the more feminist based articles might be as some mentioned, simply ways to draw up page views, you guys are also doing a bit on LGBTIQ atm (and presumably will be doing more later), which isn't so much discussed, but as an gay man that inclusion in the discussion is really nice.

Sigh...

Like I said before, unless your going to complain about ever medium that this is a issue in, you don't have the right to talk about it in video games. Fact is, as long as things like Perverted genre anime/manga exsit(and lets fact it...perverts are not going anywhere) this will something that will stay in Japanese made games, it's really a small part of their culture. American's are just as guilty...but the point im trying to make is, I don't want characters to lose their uniqueness.

I don't think FFXIII's Lightning is the best role model but shes a damn cool character and is popular among both sexes...It's a start.

Oh...

Don't Forget

These opinion pieces are posted so that the community will fight one another on them. It's an easy way to get page views and have other articles push their way to the top of search engine results, as well as boost the likelihood of getting more advertisers on the site. This may just be an underlying purpose, but still a real and petty purpose.

Keep up the good work

The war on sexism is not a battle of the sexes. Poor representation of women (or anyone) in games diminishes the experience for everyone. It is such a glaring problem that has existed for so long and one that is never addressed by the industry's most influential publishers, that, unfortunately, it needs to be shouted about, incessantly, until they can't help but accept the need to take it seriously.

I Disagree

It's just the way society is right now and it's not going to ever change, unless our society is somehow wiped out. That's why racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination still exist even after years of change and battle against it. They will never possibly be erased, no matter how much work is done to prevent it.

Only a person can change his or her mind: shouting at them and forcing ideals down their throats won't help any. Just look at religion.

why does everything have to be serious

we are talking about a video game arent we? must all things be taken so seriously? if people really cared about the issue people wouldnt be buying these games. maybe its not really a big issue? i think its because its a bit silly. Some people are trying to put such big importance on games and i dont think most games take themselves very seriously. im not saying a game cant and shouldnt be taken seriously, games have evolved but then again, many of them are just about mindless fun and shouldnt be read into so much. Arent games supposed to be based on our fantasies? they come from the imagination, and let you do things you cant do in real life. I dont know if you've ever had a dream where you did it with a chick, but most guys have. And for almost everyone, im willing to bet that the chick in their dreams was "hot". The videogame industry is predominantly a male industry. So whats wrong with the fantasizing? we all do it in our heads, why is it an issue that it appears in videogames, an extension of our fantasies?

Making games is a serious business...

...even if playing them is not. You may think games are just a load of nonsense thrown together at random but it takes an enourmous amount of work to blend a compelling narative, an engrosing world and engaging gameplay. A lot of that depends on leveraging people's shared experience of the world - bringing in familiar elements from life, such as people and guns, to save having to explain how everything works from scratch. If a part of that, e.g. the people, is significantly unlike what most people experience then we find ourselves in an uncanny valley where the oddness stands out like a sore cliché.

There is nothing wrong with having sexy dames in video games. The problem is that women are never properly represented at all in video games, resulting in games which are generally less appealing. It goes far beyond the social norms to such an absurd degree that it mars even finest of games. To not want that to change is insane.

The problem is that the publishers are raking it in via ultra-conservative formulae from which they dare not stray. It's a shame they have to be bullied out of their complacence but they do. It's not about changing anyone's mind, it's about changing their business practice.

@something

are you saying men are portrayed realistically in games? ha thats a laugh.

You cant say all games misrepresent women, and you cant say that all games misrepresent men, or represent both sexes accurately. Games are an artistic medium and they are portrayed however the artists/devs wish to. If they choose to make women damsels in distress, all the power to them. If they choose to make them badass space bounty hunters, all the power to them. If they choose to make a guy some beefed up dude on steroids all the power to them...i think you get the point. We're talking about fiction here. Not real life. Just cause a chicks some dumb piece of meat in a game, it doesnt reflect the entire human race of females on this planet.

Not all games are the same. Not all place emphasis on realism towards people. But i can say ive played plenty that do them justice. And ive played plenty were its of little importance.

Ill give you an example: Red Dead Redemption. A game that placed a large emphasis on building a believable world with believable characters, so its a fairly relevant example. The character Bonnie was a perfectly believable female, and so was marstons wife.

Read Cosmopolitan!

Here we go again.

How many times a year does each and every media outlet need this? 3? 4? I can't think of anything more boring, except maybe for a whole week of "what if" articles. At least articles about gender bias are based on things that happened.

So, games don't explore the entirety of the vaginated side of the human condition. Who has two Nintendo-thumbs and doesn't give a shit? This guy.

I love 1up. I wouldn't post comments if I didn't. But please 1up, PLEASE, just let the whole misogyny week die off early, ok? And could you maybe hold off on doing another one for, say, all of 2012? Just stick to the previews, reviews, and top 10 lists that anyone ever comes to this site for. Also, more Sharkey!

ha...

Lets not all jump to conclusions here. You could train her to be a butler. Or maybe use her to perform one person shows of classic plays. Force her to build elaborate domino structures and then knock them down. Any of those things could be fun as well....but no, she's probably gonna get raped at some point.

Here's a question though, if she is suffering from Stockholm syndrome and thinks she loves her captive would it still be rape?

Parish

Morality in Games

Games, like any other artistic media, should undoubtedly explore complex, and difficult themes such as sexual assault. Crystal Dynamic's backpedaling on this issue shows a lack of integrity that, I for one, find disturbing. When developers back down like this, how can they possible expect to be taken as a legitimate form of artistic media, capable of affecting the masses, instead of just pointless entertainment?

Agreed.

It's sort of like the ME3 situation - even if a narrative decision is controversial, in order for the medium to have integrity, they have to stick with it and defend themselves. Crystal Dynamics is basically saying "Oh, you don't like that? Okay we'll change it; not like the story really matters anyway." I mean there are only two ways to interpret this: 1. The story is not really a well thought out narrative - more like a series of movie cliches - and so any individual part of it can be changed or altered as needed based on consumer feedback. 2. The story is a well thought out, serious narrative but we are so enslaved by the need for money (due to our bloated AAA budget and such) that we can't risk offending anyone, so our well thought out story must be sacrificed in exchange for the money. Either way, this is the behavior of a corporation producing irrelevant entertainment; it is incompatible with art. This sort of thing is part of why games have a hard time being taken seriously.

Yawn, Thanks CD and E3

Now I get to spend the next couple of months passing on reading about Sexism and Violence on every major and minor video game website. This shit is not new and is in almost all media. If you don't like it, don't play it, don't read it , don't watch it. Instead of getting to read about games, I get to roll my eyes and check the next website with another "expert" opnion on how to handle Sexism and Violence in games. Pass

Just thinking out loud here...

but if gender is a "tricky" topic--by which I'm going with controversial, contested (fill in your similar adjective here) how is it that 1UP considers itself above the fray and here to enlighten us with "what games get wrong and right when it comes to one of society's trickiest topics."

Seems to me that if its such a debatable topic, 1UP cannot determine what is right and wrong--only give its perspective. Or just outline the debate/subtitle a bit more clearly.

This kind of thing...

...is exactly why I love 1Up. Kudos on having the balls to bring up controversial subjects like these. This one in particular is something that needs to be constantly challenged and talked about in video games if we don't want to end up like the comic book industry.

people are too sensitive

"wah this video games sexist. wah the girls are sooo skinny in this magazine, i must be fat. my self esteem is shit because lara croft has big tits."

if people were raised correctly then we wouldnt have all these people bitching about stupid things. im sick of all this talk of objectifying women. everyone is objectified these days. people need to get over it and learn some priorities in life. Its a fucking video game. Not real life.

Here i can do it do it too: wahhh kratos is so manly and strong, look at his six pack how can i be expected to be like him? im a weak pussy, i should go kill myself. they should change the games and make all men weak pussies so i dont feel bad about myself because i dont have a grip on reality.

Oh wait i just remembered that its a video game and holds no power over my life. The real problem isnt the objectification of women in media, its the importance people place on said media. Besides, men like to look at tits and stuff, just because we put it into our games doesnt make us misogynistic, it just means we like to look at tits and stuff. People read waaaaay too much into things.

Talk About Missing the Point

@chuck

care to enlighten me? I was weighing in on the whole sexism/objectification of women in media/games etc...it seemed fairly relevant to me seeing as the article was talking about womens equality in games and also referenced an article dealing with objectification

Hey! I like Batman! He's manly right? Guys? Yea? Cool.

Yea. You're right. Games aren't real life, and games are just a hobby... but if we want to take our hobby seriously, maybe we should ask more of it. Maybe we can look at it and say hey, this isn't good enough, and hey maybe there's a different way to look at these things. Maybe we should have a deeper conversation about what IS going on with gender, sexuality and identity in videogames. The purpose of this cover story, and hopefully the comments, is not to berate the reader. The purpose is to open up the conversation and to discuss what videogames can mean. If we can't "read waaaaay" too much into videogames here, then where can we? And I'm not sure it's fair to say videogames (or media) has no power over your life; we are very much what we consume.

Enlightenment @lams

I believe you missed the point. The article was about problems with gender portrayal in gaming. Your response boiled down to "this isn't worth talking about." Not "I agree" or "I disagree" or "I agree with this but not that" or even "I have a new thought on this." Just dismissal of the whole realm of the topic. Hence my perspective on yoru comment. Why comment on why something doesn't deserve commentary? Seems a sort of literary act of diminishing returns.

@beejoe and chuck

I'm not saying games can't have a deeper meaning, i support the growth of the medium, and people can discuss topics like this until they are blue in the face. I understand the point of the article, it was to get people to comment, which i have done. As for the whole we are what we consume argument. That really isnt accurate. Are you trying to tell me i objectify women because i dont mind, or even enjoy seeing them in skimpy costumes in a videogame? thats a big assumption, and i dont buy into that line of thought completely. im not saying it cant have an effect on someone, but people have a mind of their own and can decide wether or not to integrate something or wether or not something shouldnt be taken seriously. like lolipop chainsaw.

@Chuck "Your response boiled down to "this isn't worth talking about." Not "I agree" or "I disagree" or "I agree with this but not that" or even "I have a new thought on this."

I was under the impression that my opinion was fairly clear and that i didnt need to write out "i have a new thought" or "i disagree". My thoughts were entirely relevant, it was not dismissing the entire discussion, it added another opinion to the boards. i pointed out that some people take things regarding media too seriously when they shouldnt. The subject of how media effects someone is a large topic, and not everyone agrees on it so me throwing in my opinion is relevant given the topic. Yeah i am saying that the objectification in a game doesnt matter. But that doesnt mean that the non objectification doesnt matter either. it goes both ways. Im not dismissing a serious discussion. what im saying is people are smart enough to decide what to take seriously and what do dismiss. at least some of us are.

I like

hot girls in my games. They don't all have to be that chick from Half Life or Beyond Good and Evil. Other entertainment media uses attractive people all the time, but with video games people act like you broke some kind of secret rule if one of your characters is a female stereotype with big tits. IT"S BECAUSE GUYS LIKE LOOKING AT THEM.

Thanks.

I'll just say "Thanks" for the Cover Story 1Up...looking forward to the rest of the week. appreciate the short but important "Gender Identity" interview as well. Frankly there are droves of gender, race, cultural, and subcultural identity issues to explore in "interactive media" and I hope you guys explore other realms and questions in the future.

Personally

I quite like these serious debates but regardless of your personal opinion it's always great to see the community here actually debating them, being able to disagree with each other in a civil and cool way. I'm sorry it sounds fence sitting and cheesy i know but non the less it's pretty cool (take note IGN!)

Quite frankly..

...I don't give a damn. Seriously though. Yes we will continue to have games like this probably until the end of time. In the mean time make some quality games that give strong roles to women. For example the new Tomb Raider re-boot seems like a good direction. But seriously...has this issue ever detracted any of you from buying or playing a game?

Yes.

Beyond this, I believe the argument is not whether such games will go away, (which they never will completely), but rather that we should be seeing more new games offering more developed perspectives on gender.

Ya know what? Kinda

Looking at this issue from a male perspective... I don't really play the God of War games. Or really Call of Duty or Gears of War. I'm not into that kind of..."broness?" While it's not necessarily a female gender identity at the centre of the game, they're not that interesting. I don't really relate. The games I do like playing, though, fall into the Nathan Drake kinda portrayal of men.

For me

It has never been the manliness or sexism that has deterred me from the game, but the game play. I do not like games like CoD, that is why I don't buy them. GoW however I do like the portrayel of the mythos and grand landscapes, action/adventure/platforming, gameplay, etc. Bayonetta seemed like a crazy sex themed game, but at its core was an awesome adventure game that I ended up really enjoying.

I guess that's why its hard for me to understand why someone won't buy a game because the girl has huge boobs even when the game has a fantastic story or game play. Plus you know..its a game. Do I really believe some tiny 90lb women can take out armies of bad guys, nope. Same goes for any man portrayed in a game

Yes here as well. :/

I'm a huge fan of Skullgirls because I think the mechanics of it are really well constructed, but since most of its cast are busty, panty-showing, fetish-themed girls I've been reluctant to try and sell some of my friends on it.

This may belong in the article about it, but I also walked away from Lollipop Chainsaw despite being a huge Suda fan and a big big proponent of No More Heroes. I went into the early promotional stuff hoping that the theming would find its legs and maybe show something subversive to its surface, but after watching some gameplay footage I couldn't be bothered.

To All Who Say "What's the Point?"

There's a reason this keeps coming up. Gaming is ludicrously immature in issues of gender. It keeps coming up because it should. It's going to keep coming up until gaming grows beyond the current predilections.

This type of article pops up every so many years...

Miss Pac-Man was a great game, even though it was Pac-Man with a red bow. Heck, it got many girls into games, just like Animal Crossing and most of the cheap DS titles in the past 5-7 years (aimed at the young girls). My little girl plays Mario but doesn't mind playing something with Dora the Explorer because that is what she is interested in. I am a woman gamer and have been one since I was 4. My first game? Mario with the Duck Hunt/ Skeet Shot. And gaming continues for years, even now, with a gaming husband.

Though the Hitman vid is him against the assassin nuns, I cannot be mad, because it was a sweet vid. It shows him doing what he does best; killing. Would be it any more wrong if the gender was flipped and agent 47 was a female, shooting male priests, clad in leather or something? I don't think so. I also welcome the change for Lara Croft. I loved the fact that she came onto the scene back in the 90's and even though her breasts were the size of cantalopes, she was still a strong female character with a good attitude. The re-boot makes her look more like an average female (though still very pretty, and if a little innocent) but a believable one. I like how she looks and I cannot wait for the finished game.

As for Lollipop Chainsaw, it has that humor that is so yesteryear. It is corny, campy and over the top; but so are other games; MadWorld, No More Heroes and Shadows of the Damned. You either get the humor or you do not; it doesn't matter if it features a male or female protagionist. You know there will be/can be sexual jokes, it all matters if you can take them. I don't care for the "make me a sandwich" joke, which could be in a couple games, but hearing it for a thousand times can tick off anybody. Arrow to the knee, anyone?

I will admit, for years and to come, developers will always make females in game to have big chests, be sexually provacitive or even dress that way, because they know it sells. Then there are those games that have females that are well written sidekicks or main characters as well (Ellen for the new Naughty Dog game, or Judy in the Beyond game). Neither one is sexually appealing but still, they are strong characters who are female who are smart and resourceful just like Nathan Drake or Master Chief.

My point is, people need to stop crying about how females are portrayed because it will continue to happen, unless game makers change their views, or just use it for humor. I used to get mad by how they portrayed females, but now it doesn't bother me. Females unfortuantly, still can get treated badly in the real world. That means that people can choose to play that game, or this game. Don't like how the girls in DOA have bouncy boobs? Don't play the game, play Virtua Fighter instead (or Street Fighter). The girls boobs don't bounce in those games.

People need to just get over it and move on. It is good to see more equality, and even better to see different races and ethnicities to get the limelight too. (Cuz boy do I miss Faith in Mirror's Edge).

Thanks for seeing my point

What sells is a huge point out there, no matter which medium you come from; fashion, games, celebrities endorsing crap. I would like to see more games that feature women in great roles, and over the past 10-15 yrs, we are starting to see that trend happen. What I will fault is Japanese developers that still see the white male steotype as the main character (cmon, please be original for once!). One excecption before someone calls me out was FF 13, but still.

I would also like to add, because I have seen it in other posts, is the gender equality. Sure, us women the majority will never be able to kick the snot out of a man but so would a man never be able to bear the pain of childbirth. We both work in harmony and without one, there is no other. So every man or woman, get over the "I can be better than you" thought; its childish and doesn't work.

Hmmm.....Haven't we been here before multiple times?

The thing is these "issues" haven't exactly been resolved in movies and music either. Beyond that, women come from all walks of life. Aka, some women don't mind showing skin and being more open minded about their sexuality. If say I express Juliet Starling is a "bad steroetype" for example I'll be indirectely attacking real females who have her personality and who look like her.

The thing is everyone is unique. Not everyone marches to the beat of the same drum so why should every game character/game studio march to the beat of the same drum?

By white-knighting one group of people you end up oppressing and bad mouthing another group of people. This is why I haven't been quick to pick up my protest-sign and go on a moral rampage. Afterall, there are "real women" who enjoy exotic dancing or being cheerleaders just as there are real women who rather dress more conservatively whilst visiting the local library.

The world is composed of many different idealisms, points of view, and lifestyles . Good luck bringing "forced order" to "natural chaos"!

mesk

We did Mesk. But 1up staff gonna do what they gonna do! They're welcomed to come out with six shooters blazing but I don't have to be apart of their posse.

These issues are important to discuss but they need to be done so from many perspectives. I find most journalism tries to simplify things into totally wrong and totally right. I wish the "real world" was in fact that simple but it's not.

For example saying Lollipop chainsaw is exploitative "seems" like a valid critique until you take into consideration it's rooted in satirical cheesy camp. Aka, we're not supposed to see it as a classical literary marvel or a film on the same level with Schindler's list and Citizen Kane. There's a place for all forms of entertainment and frankly I don't want that to change.

Once we get to the point copies of "offensive" videogames are melted down in a giant bonfire because of "moral activism" it'll be an indicator we're totally off the deep end!

A People's History of the United States

I think the 1UP dudes are operating from the perspective that disparate opinions have been so widely expressed there's little need to for them to grant every argument equal time. I disagree that they're being too narrow here. I'm no more a fan of puritanical methods than you, but I think we're way, way far off from a witch hunt here.

As for your statement regarding marching to the same drum, I just got back from E3 and after being slathered in for-sale sexuality at every turn, I can tell you the cadence is already loud in our favorite industry, and the beat of that drum is "sex. sex. SEX!" What we have in this Cover Story is a well-needed minority report.

Chuck

Really now

Do you sincerely believe saying, "Other people's pespectives should be respected, too," equals iron-fisted oppression? That our spending a few days looking at the views of minority groups who are frequently demeaned and even physically abused by their peers is somehow unfair to the millions of people who are catered to practically every other moment by the medium? Please, tell me you were just posting without thinking about what you were typing.

That's interesting

And for the record, I don't often respond to "nice work"-type comments because it creates an echo chamber effect where it looks like we're only promoting positive feedback. You post an awful lot of critical comments that we don't respond to, either. For someone as argumentative as you tend to be, you seem to take it pretty personally when someone responds in kind.

Good job, J

I really like that the folks at 1Up are doing their homework and researching this topic. It has been a few years since this hit mainstream and now is better than ever to get down to the dirty real facts about sexism, gender equality and reprisentation in video games.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and its a welcome medium to see how each individual views this topic. For one, I have a stand on this topic just like you do. Just try not to get worked up when a negative comment is thrown your way. Believe me, I would like to smack down every troll or gender-supressing male out there, but to do it would be in vain; there is always going to be someone else spouting retarted stuff that I disagree with. I believe in equality of both genders, all races and all sexual preferences; there I said it. That is my opinion, take it at full value or demote it. I don't care. You will not ruffle any feathers. I put my two cents in any maybe, just maybe what I said ressonates in another 1Up member. Maybe not. For the sake of this issue, everyone has a point and voice. Let it be free!

Good

These are EXACTLY the kinds of articles we need to have posted on sites like 1Up, Gamespot and IGN. We NEED to be having these discussions because we NEED to confront the fact that our industry plays on stereotypes, especially when it comes to women.

I don't have a problem with the new Tomb Raider. In context, I'm sure it fleshes out the character nicely. Characters like Lara Croft would do well to be humanized. I find nothing offensive about her design or the trials she's put through. Contrast that with Lollipop Chainsaw, which has no regard for the dignity of its main character whatsovever. Pathetic.

Agreed

Lara re-booted means that we get a more believable female and we grow a likeness for the character, where the chick from Lollipop Chainsaw is all sterotypes and old crap we've seen before (and we don't care about her cuz she's hollow).

Stereotypes would be interesting to address because not only is there the sex/gender issue but there is the race, ethnicity and sexual orientation to address in games. For years, certain races haven't gotten the limelight, or some have just barely gotten a lead role. Then of course, there is the racial stereotypes that go with them. For sexual orientation, that is still a taboo subject for many, even though games like Mass Effect and Skyrim let you romance a same sex partner (or marry one), there is no impact to the story (I cannot confirm this with Mass Effect, I just know of Skyrim).

Mesk

Nobody's shoving anything down your throat (unless you ask them to, in which case they'll be happy to oblige). I'm simply stating my opinion. Games have grown to the point where they can tell intelligent, engrossing stories about relatable human and non-human characters. My opinion is that while the new Tomb Raider represents the upward motion of the industry, Lollipop Chainsaw provides others with ammo they can use to dismiss (or ridicule) our favorite form of entertainment.

Should people be allowed to buy Lollipop Chainsaw? Should games like that be allowed to exist? Of course. Freedom of expression means ALL IDEAS are welcome, even ones that some of us find distasteful. However, people have just as much of a right to come out and say they don't like something, that they don't like what it represents. Lollipop Chainsaw represents the stereotyping and marginalisation of women. There's nothing wrong with it existing and there's nothing wrong with you for enjoying it, but I am also allowed to come here (or anywhere, for that matter) and say that I do not enjoy it.

You r a funny one, Mesk

Oh, I tried Lollipop and I will admit, it was cornball and I was hoping it to be a good game, not great or mind-blowing, but something I could enjoy and laugh about. I simply did not find the game funny and its mechanics feel dated. It wasn't for me. I like Suda (No More Heroes is a fave of mine) but I felt kinda hurt by this game. True, its still his flavor, but not mine.

My friend has this game and I am glad that he enjoys it and streams it because then I can watch it from time to time and see what it features. I am in no way someone who would go out and protest against a game,; if someone wants to buy a game, do it. Just don't complain that you wasted 40-60 if the game is crap. Well, your welcome to do that too! :D

Ahh, as far as I can see it, steotyping will continue for anyone and everyone forever unless people start caring and start changing. Until then, everyone still faces issues and problems like these. I would like to see the world change, but I doubt it will soon.

Another Gender Article? Can we get some of this solved already?

Reading this and countless other articles, the topic of gender and sexuality in the gaming industry has yet to be resolved but actually seems to be getting worse. So much so, people become apathetic about even wanting to see a clear picture of the issues that are prominenet but misunderstood in video games. It's like no one wants to take resposnbility as a critic for games and say it's offensive or downright misogyn, but if the ending of a game is not what they expected, be sure to have thousands to combat that issue.

What has the gaming culture drived itself into? I can't even imagine what it'll become.

Really...

It don't think this would be much of an issue if this reboot of Tomb Raider hadn't come about.

It's about the emotional weight attached to the experience, and the aesthetics accompanying it, that created such a reaction in the first place. The rest of games? Well, you get exactly what you see on the box. But trying to create an actual character that isn't a stereotype, male or female, and having the developers saying "she's not!" when she clearly is, sparked all this madness.